Abstract八里公路： In the learning of English Lexicology, we find that there are some changes in the meaning of English words. Word meaning is significant in English learning, and this paper is going to explore the factors in the change of English word meaning.
Key Words：changefactormeaning
When a word loses its old meaning and comes to refer to something different, the result is a change in word meaning. For instance, the word villain is originally neutral referring to a farmer working on the farm or in the suburbs. However, villain in current English means a scoundrel. Change of meaning refers to the alternation of the meaning of existing words, as well as the addition of new meaning to a particular word. The change is formed in the way of extension, narrowing, elevation and degradation of meaning.
魅惑钢琴 There are several factors that can cause possible changes of meaning. Mostly, they are extra-linguistic factors and linguistic factors.
Ⅰ.Extra-linguistic factors
Extra-linguistic factors make up of historical reason, social reason psychological reason, and cultural blending.
i.Historical reason
In the old English the word pen was written as penn from the Latin word penna, which means the writing tool made by feather. However, with the development of technology, pen now means golden pen, iridium fountain pen and fountain pen, which have nothing to do with feather.
ii.Social reason or class reason
Language records the speech and attitude of different social classes, so different so
会有那么一天cial varieties of language have come into being. The attitude of classes has penetrated into lexical meaning, particularly in the case of elevation and degradation. Quite a number of words that denote different sorts of working people or their occupations have taken on a pejorative sense. Churl and hussy which were originally neutral have been down-graded as “ill-manned or bad people”.
发布评论